Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael)

Recently, certain Members of the Lower House have proposed that people break the law in respect of the household charge. Now they are calling for the legalising of the use of cannabis. This is an important issue because it affects young people. The picture showed young people on the street in that protest.

We are bringing forward the vehicle clamping Bill later this year but it should be much sooner. Will the Minister clarify to the House whether it is lawful for private clamping companies to apply disproportionate sanctions amounting in some cases to €120 per day? I will give one example. In the Dublin City Council area, the fee to release a clamped vehicle is €80. The charges of various private companies are €90, €100 and €120. I know of a person who was clamped by mistake during this bank holiday weekend in her private apartment building. She left on Friday and when she returned on Monday evening, she found that her car had been clamped for four days.